Controller for the trolley-poles of electric cars.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

A. J. EDWARDS.

APPLICATION FILED 1136.22. 1906.

CONTROLLER FOR THE TROLLEY POLES or ELECTRIC CARS.

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WWI-N55555 ALFRED JO TED was" PATENT ()FFICE.

HN EDVYA-RDS, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed August 22, 1906. Serial No. 331,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J OHN ED- WARDS, a subject of the King of Great Brit ain, residing Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controllers for the Trolley-Poles of Electric Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to means whereby the trolley-poles of electric cars may be automatically drawn down below the level of the overhead wires and other gear should the trolley-wheel by accident leave the conductor-wire while the car is running.

The means devised are such that the usual amount of free movement to be given the control-rope to allow for curves and inequalities in the track is provided for, while should the trolley-wheel leave its wire the upward swing of the pole, under the influence of its spring, will set in action the controlling mechanism, so that the pole will be drawn down below the level of the overhead gear.

The means employed consist of a weight sufficiently heavy to overcome the upward pull of the usual spring employed for keeping the trolley-wheel in contact with the wire, such weight being mounted in avertical slideframe arranged at the end of the car. Lever catches or hooks are pivoted in the top end of the slide and serve to retain the weight at such end. The ordinary control-rope of the trolley-pole is connected to the top end of rod or wire that passes loosely down through a sleeve that passes loosely and vertically through the center of the weight. This sleeve is formed with flange upon each end and is capable of limited longitudinal movement. Inward extensions of the catches rest upon the top flange, so that when the sleeve is drawn up the catches will be turned and release the weight, thereby allowing it to fall. The bottom end of the wire passing through the sleeve is adapted to engage withthe lower end of the sleeve. Any upward pull on such wire will thereby raise the sleeve and release the weight, allowing it to fall. The falling weight, carrying the sleeve down with it, will also pull down the wire and the controlrope attached to it in the desired manner to draw down the trolley-pole.

Inthe accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of the means devised. Fig. 2 is a half side section and half elevation taken This weight is provided with pins 0, one on each side, that extend horizontally across within recesses formed in the weight. Pivoted within each of the two top corners of the frame a is a two-armed lever, one arm (1 of which extends downward and is formed with a hook e on its lower end, while the other arm f extends inward toward the center of the frame, as shown in the drawings. The hooks e are adapted to pass beneath the pins 0 on the respective sides of the weight b and to retain such weight by its suspension upon them in the upper end of the frame a.

Extending downward through a bore formed centrally through the weight and fitting loosely therein is the sleeve g, formed with a flange h on its u per end and a flange j on its lower end. he sleeve is made of such a length as to be capable of a limited amount of longitudinal movement through the weight, its flanges engaging, respectively, with the top and bottom faces thereof. The upper flange h is adapted to underlie the inwardly-extending arms f of the catch-levers and to turn the levers when the sleeve is raised, thereby turning the hooks e inward from beneath the pins 0 and allowing the weight to fall in the slide-frame. The sleeve is kept normally at the downward extent of its movement bymeans of the spring k,fitting within arecess in the weight 1), formed around the bottom end of the sleeve and bearing against the top of such recess and the top of the flange j.

A rod or wire Z extends freely down through the sleeve g, and its bottom 'end is formedwith a stop-piece m, adapted to engage with the bottom end of the sleeve. The top end of this wire'is provided with any suitable means whereby it may be attached to the free end of the usual trolley-pole controlro e.

The device is secured in any suitable manner to the apron of the car or other fixture and one at each end of the car. The weight is raised and held in the raised position in the manner described. The control-r0 e is then attached to the wire Z. Enough s ackis left in such rope to allow for the inward and outward play of the rope under ordinary running circumstances, the Wire Z being free within the sleeve, permitting of its freedom of movement.

Should the trolley-wheel leave the wire, the pull on the control-rope, caused by the upward swing of the pole under the influence of its spring, will cause the wire Z to be drawn up, when its stop-piece m, engaging with the bottom of the sleeve, will draw such sleeve up with it. Wlll disengage the hooks efrom the weight and leave the weight free to fall, which it will do, drawing the wire Z down with it, and consequently also the control-rope and trolleypole. To effect this object, it will be obvious that the weight must be sufficiently heavy to overcome the action of the spring used for keeping the trolley-wheel beneath the conductor-wire.

The weight b may be provided with the arms n, projecting laterally from each side thereof and passing out through slots 0, formed in the sides of the slide-frame a. These arms will serve to guide the weight in its rising and falling movements and will also serve as handles by means of which it may be raised to be held by the hook-levers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In means for controlling the trolleypoles of electric cars, a weight capable of ver tical movement mounted upon the end of the car, catches for retaining the weight in a raised position, a wire passing freely and vertically through the weight, connected at its upper end with the control-rope, means upon the bottom end of the rod for engagement with the under side of the weight, and means mounted upon the wire for engagement with the catches, when the wire is drawn up, substantially as specified.

2. In a means for controlling the trolleypoles of electric cars, a weight capable of vertical movement, catches for normally retaining the weight in a raised condition, a sleeve passing loosely and vertically through the This movement of the sleeve 1 weight, engaging with the catches, and capable of limited longitudinal movement, and a wire connected to the control-rope passing loosely through the sleeve, and formed with means upon its lower end for engagement with the sleeve, substantially as specified.

3. In means for controlling the trolleypoles of electric cars, in combination, a ver-tical slide-frame, a weight fitting within the frame, lever-catches pivoted at the top of the frame formed with hooks for engagement with the weight and with inwardly-extend ing members, a sleeve passing loosely and vertically through the Weight and underlying the inwardly-extending members of the catches, and a wire connected to the controlrope passing loosely through the sleeve provided with means on its lower end for engagement with the sleeve, substantially as specifled.

4. In means for controlling the trolley poles of electric cars, in combination, a vertical slide-frame, a weight fitting within the frame, lever-catches pivoted at the top of the frame formed with hooks for engagement with the weight and with inwardly-extending members, a sleeve passing looselyand vertically through the weight and underlying the inwardly-extending members of the catches, flanges on the top and bottom ends of the sleeve, a spring surrounding the sleeve and bearing between the lower flange and the under side of the weight, and a wire connected to the control-rope passing freely through the sleeve and provided with means on its bottom end for engagement with the sleeve, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of July, 1906.

ALFRED JOHN EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

EDWD. BROOKE-SMITH, E. F. COURTNEY. 

